ICAO Says Nigeria Maintains Global Safety Standard in Aviation

In its 2013 Safety Report, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) listed Nigeria as having global safety standard.

ICAO listed the Nigeira as one of the 14 countries in Africa that have effective Safety Implementation above the global average of 61%.

The rating is contained in the ICAO 2013 Safety Report based on the reports of its auditors which investigated level of compliance by individual country across the world, especially its over 200 member States.

ICAO stated in the report that in an effort to establish and implement an effective safety oversight system that reflects the shared responsibility of the State and the broader aviation community, each ICAO Member State should address all of the eight Critical Elements (CEs).

These eight categories address the entire spectrum of a State’s civil aviation oversight activities.

Meanwhile, other countries in Africa ranked along with Nigeria are: CapeVerde, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritania, Morocco, SouthAfrica, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia and Zimbabwe.

Some other countries also listed from other continents include: Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Estonia, CzeckRepublic, Denmark, United Sates of America, United Kingdom, North Ireland, France, Germany, Sweden, Thailand, Russian Federation, Israel,  United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Spain, Turkey, Venezuela, Italy, Japan, Malaysia ,Romania, Malta, Greece and India.

The eight Critical Elements areas expected of States to address are: Legislation, Organisation, Licensing, Operations, Airworthiness, Accident, Investigation, Air Navigation Services and Aerodrome.

To standardize the conduct of its audits under the USOAP,  ICAO has established audit protocol questionnaires.

The protocol questions are based on the Chicago Convention, SARPs established in the safety-related Annexes to the  Convention, as well as associated ICAO guidance material including, but not limited to, the ICAO Safety Oversight Manual (Doc 9734—The Establishment and Management of a State’s Safety Oversight System) and Safety Management Manual (Doc 9859—Safety Management Manual, 3rd ed).

Each audit protocol is a comprehensive checklist covering all areas of a State’s safety oversight system subject to the USOAP audit process. Using the audit protocol as a guideline, auditors are then able to determine a State’s capability for safety oversight.

On its “Focus On Africa”, the ICAO Safety Report 2013 noted that Traffic growth projections in Africa are promising as forecasts indicate an annual growth rate for international traffic of 6.1 per cent over the five-year period from 2010–2015.

A solid strategic planning process for safe and efficient operations, both nationally and regionally, is necessary to accommodate the expected traffic growth. Such a process will benefit from measurable targets and involve the active participation of States, international and regional organizations, industry partners, development banks and investors.

It stated that African community has shown its leadership towards this end especially during  the Ministerial Conference on Aviation Safety in Africa held in Abuja in July 2012, where specific measurable targets were adopted, including the resolution of Significant Safety Concerns (SSCs) as a matter of urgency and a progressive increase of the effective implementation of applicable ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) identified by the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) to no less than 60 per cent.

To attain the agreed safety targets and achieve long-lasting improvements, the cooperation of all stakeholders will be required.

Some efforts in this regard being implemented by ICAO in coordination with aviation safety partners are the Comprehensive Regional Implementation Plan for Aviation Safety in Africa (AFI Plan), the development of tailored ICAO Plans of Action for States with SSCs or serious safety deficiencies, and the Cooperative Inspectorate Scheme for the African and Indian Ocean Region (AFI-CIS).

These efforts have already shown tangible results in this region. Following the validation of corrective actions or mitigating measures implemented, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan and Zambia have successfully resolved the SSCs identified. Mauritania and Sudan have met the target of 60 per cent of effective implementation of safety-related SARPs and significant improvements were also noted by the USOAP in Benin and Madagascar.

ICAO assured member States that it will continue to provide assistance and coordinate the efforts of the international aviation community to support States willing to improve their safety oversight capabilities.